Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-01-25
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-01-25

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Last weeks sale saw very light receipts due extreme cold. No accurate market comparisons can be made for feeder cattle offerings, however, higher to sharply higher undertones were seen on 400-649 lbs steers and 450-649 lbs heifers. All other weights of feeders sold with steady undertones. Demand for all feeders was good to very good for heavy offerings. Quality this week was mixed from plain to very attractive with lots of variation seen. Many different breeds of cattle were represented today, with lots of differences in frame and muscle scores seen. The best demand continues to be for cattle suitable to develop into yearlings. Most buyers purchased steers 425-660 lbs and heifers 450-625 lbs for that purpose. CME positions saw triple digit gains today as prices continue to press higher after a late fall collapse. The March contract closed at 238.175, 4.40 higher while the April closed at 243.925, 4.125 higher. A very large crowd was on hand for todays sale as the seats were packed throughout much of the day. Farmer feeders, ranchers and order-buyers were all active participants in todays sale which stretched late into the evening. Todays crowd was the largest crowd of buyers seen all fall and winter. Market activity was very active this sale as a result. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand for moderate offerings. Slaughter cow demand remains good to very good, despite heavier supplies. All slaughter cow offerings sold generally steady. A larger supply of cows was seen this week with lots of variation in yield. Feeding cow buyers were more aggressive this week as they push to buy as many cows as possible. Feeding cows sold generally steady. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 3.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on moderate to good demand, no comparisons are available due to light receipts last sale.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $277.06/cwt on 1,676 head.

Average price

$277.06

1,676 head · 537 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,487

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$70

per head · Medium 1 over Large 1

$61.44/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.70

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	458	290.75	1,330	59
Medium and Large 1	559	283.74	1,587	1,009
Medium and Large 1-2	532	269.11	1,432	402
Medium 1-2	399	260.78	1,040	91
Medium and Large 2	467	260.17	1,214	36
Large 1-2	482	257.83	1,244	53
Large 1	611	229.31	1,400	26

One grade step is worth $61.44/cwt here — about −$70 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 0–100 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 0–100 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale1,676 hd

277.06

—

MT average4 barns · 3,236 hd

276.35

+0.70

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt

Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	Low	1,710	108.31	1,852	29
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,556	102.29	1,592	61
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,390	97.58	1,357	124
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,171	91.88	1,076	173

Replacement cattle Per head

By class, stage and age

Bred stock and pairs are reported per head, not per hundredweight — these prices are never mixed with the $/cwt figures above.

Class	Stage	Age	Avg wt	$/head	Head
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,329	$1,867	6
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,449	$1,625	19
Bred Heifers	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,282	$1,750	3thin

Every lot, as filed

132 lots · USDA AMS · Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Thu)

Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	727	238.32/cwt	237.00–241.00	1,733	3
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	647	242.00/cwt	242.00–242.00	1,566	9
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	521	282.50/cwt	282.50–282.50	1,472	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	432	342.88/cwt	340.00–350.00	1,481	35
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	493	313.74/cwt	295.00–322.50	1,547	36
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	707	217.00/cwt	217.00–217.00	1,534	12
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	992	203.00/cwt	203.00–203.00	2,014	3
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	394	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,182	8
Steers	Medium 2	—	403	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	846	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	966	212.00/cwt	212.00–212.00	2,048	9
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	638	229.00/cwt	229.00–229.00	1,461	3
Steers	Medium 1	—	414	347.50/cwt	347.50–347.50	1,439	14
Steers	Large 1	—	741	242.79/cwt	242.50–244.00	1,799	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	840	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,932	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	575	290.99/cwt	285.00–292.00	1,673	14
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	773	229.00/cwt	229.00–229.00	1,770	13
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	488	290.43/cwt	289.00–300.00	1,417	36
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	506	314.68/cwt	313.50–315.00	1,592	109
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	796	231.00/cwt	231.00–231.00	1,839	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	804	222.00/cwt	222.00–222.00	1,785	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	643	273.00/cwt	273.00–273.00	1,755	42
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	833	224.00/cwt	224.00–224.00	1,866	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	567	311.33/cwt	299.50–316.00	1,765	179
Heifers	Medium 1	—	426	283.05/cwt	277.50–287.50	1,206	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	440	311.48/cwt	304.00–315.00	1,371	110
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	620	259.87/cwt	250.00–267.00	1,611	98
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	784	221.90/cwt	221.50–223.00	1,740	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	647	247.00/cwt	247.00–247.00	1,598	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	528	283.50/cwt	283.50–283.50	1,497	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	716	228.31/cwt	226.00–231.00	1,635	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	520	301.85/cwt	289.50–312.00	1,570	171
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	873	195.47/cwt	194.00–197.00	1,706	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	824	214.05/cwt	212.00–217.00	1,764	26
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	428	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,263	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	758	234.00/cwt	234.00–234.00	1,774	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	669	270.49/cwt	261.00–274.00	1,810	81
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	918	217.00/cwt	217.00–217.00	1,992	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	537	305.06/cwt	302.50–314.00	1,638	61
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	876	204.00/cwt	204.00–204.00	1,787	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	414	365.22/cwt	360.00–371.00	1,512	128
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	723	253.75/cwt	244.00–259.00	1,835	110
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	623	266.41/cwt	255.00–273.00	1,660	61
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	521	330.86/cwt	316.00–339.00	1,724	71
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	684	249.19/cwt	232.50–260.00	1,704	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	481	345.67/cwt	332.50–366.00	1,663	128
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	494	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,408	13
Steers	Large 1	—	595	290.50/cwt	290.50–290.50	1,728	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	763	239.76/cwt	239.00–240.00	1,829	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	808	236.59/cwt	230.50–237.00	1,912	16
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	503	282.50/cwt	282.50–282.50	1,421	24
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	322	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	966	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	397	349.17/cwt	347.50–350.00	1,386	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	731	246.50/cwt	246.50–246.50	1,802	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	621	289.26/cwt	281.00–299.50	1,796	200
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	853	226.25/cwt	226.00–227.50	1,930	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	387	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,432	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	456	372.50/cwt	372.50–372.50	1,699	13
Steers	Medium 1	—	490	322.32/cwt	321.00–327.50	1,579	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	584	339.00/cwt	339.00–339.00	1,980	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	501	348.00/cwt	348.00–348.00	1,743	19
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	655	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,736	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	843	216.00/cwt	216.00–216.00	1,821	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	560	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,568	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	625	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,719	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	726	228.16/cwt	228.00–229.00	1,656	6
Bulls	Large 1	—	697	224.00/cwt	224.00–224.00	1,561	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,543	102.63/cwt	100.00–104.25	1,584	30
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,541	99.19/cwt	98.00–99.50	1,529	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,462	91.80/cwt	88.00–94.50	1,342	14
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,376	98.13/cwt	94.00–103.00	1,350	73
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,510	106.30/cwt	105.00–106.50	1,605	12
Bulls	—	—	1,510	99.00/cwt	99.00–99.00	1,495	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,050	102.00/cwt	102.00–102.00	1,071	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,371	95.69/cwt	93.00–104.00	1,312	21
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,159	89.10/cwt	82.00–93.00	1,033	51
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,663	102.18/cwt	100.50–104.00	1,699	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,453	88.36/cwt	86.00–91.00	1,284	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,408	107.40/cwt	105.50–108.50	1,512	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	960	83.37/cwt	75.00–87.00	800	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,161	87.96/cwt	86.00–91.00	1,021	19
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,138	104.69/cwt	102.00–107.50	1,191	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,230	93.55/cwt	91.50–100.00	1,151	48
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,110	73.00/cwt	73.00–73.00	810	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,164	93.40/cwt	91.00–97.00	1,087	36
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,728	95.38/cwt	94.00–96.50	1,648	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,650	106.00/cwt	106.00–106.00	1,749	1
Bulls	—	—	1,555	112.00/cwt	112.00–112.00	1,742	1
Bulls	—	—	1,742	112.66/cwt	107.50–116.00	1,963	12
Bulls	—	—	1,933	105.70/cwt	105.00–107.00	2,043	6
Bulls	—	—	2,295	122.84/cwt	121.00–125.00	2,819	2
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,362	92.69/cwt	92.00–94.00	1,262	3
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,336	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,403	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,061	111.48/cwt	96.00–122.50	1,183	19
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	866	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	1,152	8
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	864	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,123	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,011	148.99/cwt	117.50–187.00	1,506	65
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,282	1,750.00/head	1,750.00–1,750.00	1,750	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,380	1,650.00/head	1,650.00–1,650.00	1,650	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,303	1,975.19/head	1,950.00–2,000.00	1,975	4
Heifers	Large 1	—	545	258.00/cwt	258.00–258.00	1,406	6
Heifers	Large 1	—	634	218.00/cwt	218.00–218.00	1,382	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	757	209.00/cwt	209.00–209.00	1,582	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	574	254.81/cwt	240.00–264.00	1,463	41
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	674	240.33/cwt	232.00–247.00	1,620	117
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	563	278.60/cwt	267.00–291.50	1,569	137
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	478	311.64/cwt	305.00–316.00	1,490	158
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	735	221.00/cwt	221.00–221.00	1,624	4
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	375	266.78/cwt	260.00–272.00	1,000	71
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	920	190.51/cwt	190.00–191.00	1,753	2
Heifers	Large 1-2	—	489	257.50/cwt	257.50–257.50	1,259	46
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	475	290.68/cwt	284.00–301.00	1,381	87
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	683	222.02/cwt	218.00–225.00	1,516	7
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	515	234.96/cwt	232.50–242.50	1,210	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	594	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,426	4
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	305	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	808	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	645	240.26/cwt	230.00–243.00	1,550	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	542	278.00/cwt	278.00–278.00	1,507	5
Heifers	Large 1-2	—	439	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,141	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,002	183.14/cwt	183.00–184.00	1,835	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	984	182.33/cwt	182.00–185.00	1,794	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	339	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	898	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	463	274.00/cwt	274.00–274.00	1,269	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	430	286.91/cwt	275.00–302.50	1,234	97
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	515	273.87/cwt	260.00–293.00	1,410	112
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	699	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,468	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	568	252.00/cwt	252.00–252.00	1,431	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	799	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	1,750	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	—	659	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	1,443	4
Heifers	Large 1	—	598	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,465	2
Heifers	Medium 1	—	475	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,401	38
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	—	616	223.00/cwt	223.00–223.00	1,374	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,449	1,625.00/head	1,625.00–1,625.00	1,625	19

How this sale compares

Montana weighted averages

One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every Montana auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.

Montana feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →